Moving On
by Dorthey Star
Summary: [complete] Ginny and her friends talk about their memories as they deal with death. Rated PG just to be safe.


"Moving On"  
by Dorthey Star  
  
"I'm movin' on  
  
At last I can see life has been patiently waiting for me  
  
And I know there's no guarantees, but I'm not alone  
  
There comes a time in everyone's life  
  
When all you can see are the years passing by  
  
And I have made up my mind that those days are gone."  
-from "Moving On" by Rascal Flats  
  
DISCLAIMER: All people and places- except Shirley Davenport- belong to J.K. Rowling.  
  
* * *  
  
The house seemed empty. Gone was the laughter, gone was the fighting, and gone was the love. Twenty-year-old Ginny Weasley stepped into what had been her room, carrying a large empty bag. The wallpaper- once bright pink with white hearts- was now a dull faded pink that almost blended with the hearts. Dull was how Ginny felt. Her mind wasn't letting her think about what had just happened. She could only focus on the happy times. It was all she could do to keep from breaking down completely.  
  
She could remember when she got the wall paper. She had been five, and Percy had been getting ready for his first year at Hogwarts the next year. Bill and Charlie were already there. Ron was six, and Fred and George were eight. They had all been so innocent then. The children didn't know of Voldemort and the pain and destruction he could bring. They knew now, though. They knew all too well. Ginny pushed that thought aside. Don't think about that. Think about happier times, she told herself. She placed the empty bag on the quilt covered bed, then walked over to the dresser and started to empty its contents into the bag. She caught sight of a picture on the dresser. She stopped what she was doing and picked it up.  
  
She was seven in the picture. It was just Ron and her at home by then. Percy, Charlie, Fred, George, and Bill were all at Hogwarts. Her parents, somehow, managed to scrape up enough money to buy dance lessons for her from the local Muggle town. The picture was from her recital that spring. She was wearing a black leotard, skin colored tights, and a black skirt. Her red curls had been pulled up into a bun, and she had generous amounts of make up on so that she wouldn't look like a ghost on stage. Ginny added the picture to the bag and resumed her task of emptying her dresser. When she finished that, she moved to the desk. On top were more pictures. As she started to add these to the bag, she stopped to look at one.  
  
She had taken it at Harry, Hermione , and Ron's graduation four years ago. They were all standing together, holding their diplomas, posing for a picture that someone else- her mum she suspected- was taking. They were all so happy then. They were innocent and carefree by no means. Harry had fought Voldemort six times by that point, and they had lost five class mates. Back then, however, they still had happy times. Ginny shoved the picture into the bag and continued. She put everything into the bag. Every shirt, every picture, every stuff animal, even every poster of the Weird Sisters. There was a knock on the door frame. Ginny turned and looked at the door. Her best friend of nine years, Neville Longbottom, was standing at the door, his face extremely white.  
  
"Are you all right, Ginny? I just heard. I came as soon as I could," he said as he quickly crossed the room and enveloped her in a hug.  
  
"No," Ginny said, and felt tears stinging at her eyes, "I'm just trying not to think about.what happened. Will you help me pack? They say I need to be out in two hours."  
  
"Anything for you, Ginny. Do you need a place to stay?" he asked. He went to the closet and started taking the clothes off the hangers and putting them into the bag.  
  
"No, my Aunt Brooke offered to let me stay with her until I found a place of my own," She said. Don't think about it, she told herself. Neville could see on her face what she was not saying: she needed to be with family right now.  
  
"That's all right. Hey, look at this!" he said, holding up an autographed Weird Sisters tee-shirt, "Remember when you got it? What a night!" Ginny laughed thinking about it. It was her seventh year, and was also Hogsmeade's 300th anniversary. The Three Broomsticks was having a huge celebration. Everyone was going to be there. The Minister of Magic, the Weird Sisters, Harry, Hermione , Ron, any Quidditch player worth a stack of beans. They were all going to be there. However, it wasn't a Hogsmeade weekend, and the teachers didn't want to have to deal with the hassle of the celebration. Ginny absolutely had to go. The Weird Sisters, her all time favorite band, was going to be there. She talked Shirley Davenport, her closest friend apart from Neville, into sneaking out. She had written to Fred and asked him the best way out. Harry had even let her borrow his Invisibility Cloak. The night had been awesome. They had met up with Neville, and the three of them had the time of their lives. Ginny enough won a drawing for a free autographed tee-shirt. They hadn't gotten back until three in the morning. Ginny grinned at Neville.  
  
"That was an awesome night. You know, the shirt still fits, too!" At those words she pulled off the plain white shirt she'd been wearing that smelled of death, and pulled on the Weird Sisters shirt. She was completely comfortable changing in front of Neville, who was gay. She threw the old shirt on to the floor and left it there. They continued packing, occasionally sharing memories. Ginny laid on her stomach and started to pull things out form under the bed. She pulled out a bright orange, blue, pink, and yellow plaid diary.  
  
"Oh my gosh!" she exclaimed, laughing, "It's the diary I had in sixth year!" She opened it up to the middle and started to read an entry out loud, "December 15, 1997. Dear Diary, the Weird Sisters were in Teen Witch Weekly again this week. I stole Lavender's copy and read it until I had it memorized. I'm bad, I know. At least I'm not pining over Harry still. I think he's started to like me. Today at lunch he complimented me on my earrings. They're the same earrings I've worn all year, but suddenly he's started taking notice about small things like that. For example, last week he told me that when I stood in the sun my hair looked brighter and prettier. He said I should have a ray of sunshine that followed me everywhere. Very sweet, but very creepy coming from my older brother's best friend that hasn't even realized I existed until now. Well, I've got to go. Shirley and I are going to watch Quidditch practice." Ginny laughed and tossed the diary to Neville.  
  
"June 5, 1998. Dear Diary, today Ron, Hermione , and Harry all graduated. Hogwarts just won't be the same without them. Hermione 's going on to University. She wants to either go into Arithmancy or Medi Wizarding. Ron is going to write sports for the Daily Prophet. Harry.well, he hasn't decided what he's going to do. I had a nice long talk with him last night. He says he only feels confident about Quidditch, but he doesn't know if he wants to play it professionally. Something about not being able to be there to protect his loved ones and he would be in the spot light even more than he is now, and he hates that. I haven't decided what I'm going to do when I graduate. I suppose I'll go into the Ministry. I think being an Unspeakable sound neat. I wonder what they do. Probably something dangerous. Mum would have a fit. Well, I've got to go. The feast is about to start," Neville read, mimicking a girls voice. A tall blonde girl ran into the room and straight to Ginny. She gave her a bear hug and lifted her off her feet.  
  
"Hi Shirley," Ginny squeaked, unable to breath. Shirley put her down and looked at the Weird Sister's shirt.  
  
"Great shirt, Gin and Tonic," Shirley laughed, using her old Hogwarts nickname for Ginny.  
  
"Thanks, Green Thumb," Ginny retorted. With just a touch Shirley could make ANY plant die.whether she was trying to or not. Shirley grinned.  
  
"What have you two been doing?" she asked, looking around the nearly empty room.  
  
"Just packing up some of my stuff," Ginny said, trying to sound casual, although there was a wavering in her voice.  
  
"Yeah, we've been finding some great old stuff. Look at this," Neville added, throwing the diary at Shirley, who nearly caught it. She picked it up from the floor and opened it up near the end.  
  
"August 17, 1998. Dear Diary, tonight was amazing. My first- and only no matter how amazing it was- date with The Boy Who Lived. There was just no chemistry. He took me to the fair in the London. It was a Muggle fair. We rode this really tall circle looking thing called a Ferris Wheel and ate food like Cotton Candy and Funnel Cakes. He even won me a teddy bear! Harry's a great friend, and will be a great boyfriend, just not to me. Muggles are so creative, to think of all those rides. I got a little sick to my stomach on one or two, but other than that it was amazing. Maybe I can talk him into taking me- as a friend- next year. It's late, and we're going to Diagon Alley tomorrow. Good night." There was silence after she finished. Ginny sniffled and three tears escaped. She sat down on the bed and her two best friends sat on either side of her. There was the sound of a door opening and several people walking in. With all the sounds of walking and chattering, for a moment Ginny forgot about what had happened and thought that the house was once again a live and filled with love. The moment passed as quickly as it had come as an official looking Auror walked into her room.  
  
"Miss Weasley, are you done? We need to start examining the house," he said. Ginny stood up and took one look around.  
  
"Yes, I'm through." She put a levitating charm on her bag and left the room with Shirley and Neville behind her. She slowly walked down the stairs, through the kitchen, and out the door. The sunlight was bright. Out of the corner of her eye she could see people moving. She told herself not to look, but she did anyway. There, laying on the ground, were the bodies of her all her parents, her brothers, Harry, and Hermione . They had been moved from where they had fallen when Voldemort had killed them, one by one, saving Hermione - and Ginny- for last. Hermione had finally defeated Voldemort, killing herself in the process. But, Ginny thought as she watched the Medi Wizards load the bodies one by one onto stretchers, can he really be defeated? Is he really gone, or will it be only a matter of time before he returns again? At that thought she completely lost it and broke down into tears. Neville and Shirley reached out and hugged her at the same time. Ginny wrapped her arms around her two best friends. They're all I have now, she thought, They're my family now. Ginny pulled back from them and wiped her eyes with the handkerchief that Neville handed her. Together, they moved away from the house and the scenes of death. With each step they left the first part of their lives, and moved into the next. 


End file.
